James moeal keen and thomas p



(No Model.)

J. M. KEEN 8: T. F. MEEHAN.

' GAR UOUPLING.

No. 307,659. Patented Nov. 4, 1884.

' heads of ordinary construction for the purpose lllnrrrnn Srarns PATENT JAWES MORAL KEEN AND THOMAS F. hilEEl-TAN, OE DIGBY, NOVA SGOTIA, CANADA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,659, dated November 4, 1884:.

Application lilecl August ll), 1884.

1'0 altu-hom it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, JAMES MORAL KEEN and THOMAS FELIX llIEEHAN, of Digby, in the county of Digby, Province of Nova Scotia, and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar- Oouplings; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figurel is a perspective view of our improved ear-coupling. Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view of a car equipped with our improved coupling, showing the same in position for coupling. Fig. at is a side view showing the draw-heads of two cars connected by our improved coupling; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the latch.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to car-couplings; and it has for its object to provide a device which shallbe simple in construction, inexpensive, and which may be readily applied to drawof rendering the same automatic in operation.

To this end the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, A designates the draw-head of an ordinary pin-andlink coupling to which our improved automatic coupling device is attached.

Our improved attachment may be described as consisting, mainly, of a plate, B, approximately triangular in shape, having a horizontal lower ec ge, 1:3, and provided at its upper corner with a forwardly-projecting lug, G, forming a bearing for a pivoted link or bail, I), which is provided at its upper rear corner with an arm. or handle, E,which, when the link is raised, as in uncoupling, is adapted to rest upon or against the inclined side, F, of the plate, so as to sustain the link in its raised position. The opposite side, G, of the plate is nearly vertical, and provided at or near its (No model.)

lower end with a bulge or projection, H, be-

hind which the link or bail normally rests.

livoted upon the rear side of the plate 13,

adjoining the bulge H, is a latch, l, arranged in a horizontal bearing, and consisting of a inclined side, F, of the plate B is beveled on its front side, as shown at N, so as to cause the links of opposite draw-heads to engage the plates automatically when the cars come to gether. The rear sides of the plates B are provided with rearwardly-extending bails or staples 0, adapted to enter the mouths of the draw-heads A, in which they are secured by means of ordinary coupling-pins, after the manner of ordinary pin-and-link couplings.

The operation and advantages. of this invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed.

Our improved coupling attachment is readily attached, in a moments time, to drawheads of the oldfashioned kind. The links are, normally, allowed to hang down, engaging the latches I. \Vhen the cars come to geth er, the link of each coupling is first pressed slightly in a rearward direction, thus forcing the hooked arm of the latch back to avertical position and disengaging the hook from the link, which is now, by engaging the bevel N of the plate of the opposite drawhead, forced outward and caused to engage the corner of the inclined side of said plate, thus completing the coupling. At the moment this takes place the links will automatically engage the hooked latches of the opposite plates, whereby they are retained securely in position.

In order to nncouple the cars it is only necessary to release the links from the latches I and swing them back until they rest upon the arms E.

This improved car-coupling is exceedingly simple in construction, certain in its action, and may be easily and quickly applied to or removed from the old-fashioned draw-heads without making any change in the construction of the latter.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States 1. In an automatic coupling attachment for ordinary draw-heads, the combination of an approximately-triangular plate with a link or bail journaled at the upper corner oftlie plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An automatic coupling attachment comprising an approximately triangular plate having a link or bail journaled at its upper corner, and provided with a rearwardly-extending bail or staple, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with an approximately-triangular plate attachable to an ordinary draw-head, ot' a link or bail pivoted at the upper corner of the said plate, and having a supporting-arm at its upper rear corner, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a ear-coupling, the combination of the described triangular plate having an inclined beveled side, a straight side provided. with a bulge at its lower end, a forwardly-projeeting lug at its upper corner, and a link or bail journaled in the said lug, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a ear-coupling, the combination of the described triangular plate having a beveled inclined side, a vertical side provided with a bulge at its lower end, and a link journaled at its upper corner, with a latch arranged upon the rear side of the said plate, and consisting of a horizontal roek-shaft having a stop at its inner end, and at its outer end an eccentric provided wit-h an arm having a beveled hook, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereunto attired our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES MORAL KEEN. THOMAS F. MEEHAN. Witnesses:

THOMAS CALEB SnRnvn, \VILLIAM FERDINAND MEEHAN. 

